Foot: A match between a Saudi club and an Iranian club was canceled due to a statue of General Soleimani
A match between Saudi club Al-Ittihad and Iranian club Sepahan was canceled due to controversy surrounding the presence of a statue of General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by the United States in January 2020. The match, part of the Asian Champions League, was abruptly called off due to “unexpected and unanticipated circumstances,” according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Al-Ittihad officials, including players like Karim Benzema, Fabinho, and N’Golo Kanté, were reportedly shocked by the presence of the Iranian general’s bust near the field.
They requested its removal before the warm-up, but this was not done, leading the team to return to the locker room.
The director-general of Sepahan announced his intention to file a complaint with the AFC, claiming that Al-Ittihad’s request went beyond sporting norms.
He argued that the stadium in Isfahan, where the match was to take place, had hosted many international matches in the same setup.
This incident occurred as Saudi and Iranian teams had recently resumed playing matches in their respective territories rather than on neutral ground, following an agreement in March under Chinese mediation to restore relations.
aSaudi Arabia and Iran had severed ties in 2016 following protests by Iranian demonstrators against the execution of a Shiite cleric by Saudi authorities.
In a separate development, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, Al-Nassr, played a match in Tehran against Persepolis on September 19, marking the first encounter between a Saudi club and an Iranian club in Iran since 2016.
